Star Trek Arcadia: A Future That Was
by Star Trek Arcadia
Summary: In the 13th year of the 2nd Dominion War when Gen. Bolanus, a highly respected war hero, seizes power on Earth, promising an end to corruption and a path to victory, Admiral Oliver A. Lee finds himself with an impossible choice: save the Federation or save its ideals. Meanwhile amidst the chaos of war, a young woman struggles to find love and the affection of a distant father.
1. Chapter 01 - Idols and Whispers

**Notes**

* * *

This is the first book in the trilogy _Truth, Justice, and the Federation Way_ , which includes the following books (included in the parentheses is the time frame during which each book takes place):

Book 1 _A Future That Was_ (2418-2419)

Book 2 _Welcome to Paradise_ (February, 2393)

Book 3 _Truth, Justice, and the Federation Way_ (March, 2393)

All Star Trek Arcadia stories are the collaborative effort of a group of like-minded writers who love story telling as much as we love Star Trek. Our stories focus on the adventures of Captain Oliver a. Lee, his crew, and the starship _Arcadia_. (Some might notice that Oliver is an admiral in _A Future That Was_. What's with that? Read on and find out!)

Anyhow, each of our writers takes on one or more characters and work together in a process best described as collaborative writing, or simming. The actual writing takes place on our website ( ). Each story, or episode as we call it, progresses in the form of posts by one or more writers.

All the chapters in this book are organized from these individual posts, and the authors and their characters are listed at the end of each chapter. Please also note that while our stories takes place in the Star Trek Universe, all our characters are original creations of their writers.

* * *

 **Chapter 1 – Idols and Whispers**

* * *

 **[Time] 2418**

 **[Location] Above the Planet Betazed**

As the shuttle soared through the atmosphere towards the massive space dock in orbit, Admiral Oliver A. Lee looked pensively out of the window next to his seat.

The serene and beautiful view reminded him of the first time he came to Betazed. He was only ten and fell in love with the planet and its people, who took him in and gave him everything after he had lost everything.

A little more than a decade later, fresh out of the Academy, he came back and attended the University of Betazed as a T'Lor Scholar. He was just an ensign back then, and the Federation, having left behind the shadows of the First Dominion war, was so inspired by the return of _Voyager_ that it eagerly embarked on a new age of exploration. It was an age of possibilities. An age of wonder.

Now, another three decades later, he was an admiral in charge of an entire sector, and the Second Dominion War had been raging for thirteen years. Thirteen years. The first war was finished in two. And despite all the destruction, all the lives lost, there was still no end in sight.

The old man sighed and reminded himself that today was a special day, a day for old friends and family.

"Sir," Captain Nami Ishikawa interrupted his thoughts.

Turning to his chief of staff, Oliver smiled slightly. "Yes?"

"Would you like me to send a gift as usual?" Asked Nami. Seeing the puzzled look on the man's face, she added, "For Terri's birthday. It's tomorrow."

"Ah, yes, of course." Oliver nodded. "Thank you, Captain."

Then he looked out of the window again.

The truth was, he would rather not to be reminded of the girl's birthday. He had lost too much on that day twenty-four years ago. Too much.

"There she is, sir." said the Ferengi pilot as he brought the shuttle around to the other side of the massive space dock.

Oliver stepped over to the cockpit and rested his hands on the back of the empty co-pilot's seat. As the USS _Themyscira_ came into view, the man beamed brightly, something he rarely did these days.

"How long has it been, Captain?" he asked without looking back at the Trill, his eyes fixed squarely on the Luna class ship parked at one of the station's external docking ports.

Nami remained in her seat as she answered.

"Fourteen years, two months, and five days, give and take a few hours."

Oliver nodded.

"And she's as beautiful as she was the first time I laid my eyes on her."

The _Themyscira_ was his second command after the _Bunker Hill_ and his last before his promotion to the admiralty, and the eight years he spent in her captain's chair were some of the happiest in his life. But that was a different time. A happier time. A time before the war.

"Ensign Salus, bring us in."

The Ferengi nodded and opened a channel to the much larger destroyer - they used to call her an explorer.

"This is Shuttle SC-021 to the USS _Themyscira_. I have Admiral Lee and Captain Ishikawa on board, requesting permission to land."

=/\= Shuttle SC-021, you are cleared for landing in the main shuttle bay. =/\=

 **::Main Shuttle Bay, USS** ** _Themyscira_** **::**

Oliver walked through the opening hatch of the shuttle, followed closely by his chief of staff. The sight of a line of Starfleet officers and crewmen waiting to greet him reminded the old man of how much he used to love ceremonies like this; these days, however, he found them more of a chore than anything else. But protocols were protocols, and he had no intention of setting aside centuries of Starfleet tradition just to satisfy his own preference.

Stopping before the Bolian at the head of the greeting party, Oliver addressed him with a formality befitting the occasion, "Captain Tobin, permission to come aboard."

"Permission granted." responded the ship's commanding officer in an equally formal tone. Then he broke into a big grin and stretched out his right arm. "Welcome home, sir."

Oliver smiled and shook the offered hand. "It's good to be back, Kell. And a belated congratulation on your promotion to the big chair. Guess I owe you a crate of Kantorian wine after all."

"Yes, you do, sir." said the Bolian captain.

Many years ago his old skipper had made the bet with him as a means to encourage him to pursue a command track. Back then he was still a lowly security officer on the _Bunker Hill_. It's little things like this that endeared the admiral to everyone who had ever served under him.

Turning to the woman next to him, Tobin said, "May I introduce Commander Fatima Karim, my first officer."

Smiling, Oliver shook the XO's hand. "Commander."

"It's an honor, sir." said the eager young woman. She had always admired the man, not the least because he was the one who liberated her home colony of Theria IV and saved her entire family from certain death. But more important, he was a good man. She would never forget what he said to her and the dozen other survivors of the labor camp.

"Starfleet failed you. I failed you." She remembered his remorseful voice. "I can only ask for your forgiveness and give you my word that never again will you be abandoned to suffer these horrors."

Fatima never quite understood why the then Rear Admiral Lee had felt the need to apologize - he was not the one who had abandoned them to the Dominion - but the sincerity in his voice was moving and comforting; he gave her hope. So when she heard the newly retrofitted _Themyscira_ was to become the admiral's flagship and Captain Tobin was looking for a first officer, she immediately put in a transfer request. Five anxious weeks and two grueling interviews over subspace later, she finally found herself in the XO's seat of the Lunar class ship. She was beyond thrilled.

Nami rolled her eyes as the _Themyscira_ 's executive officer held onto Oliver's hand just a tad too long. The man certainly had a knack for inspiring admiration and loyalty in people, but Karim might have taken it just a little too far into the idol worship territory. There was no mistaken it; it was all in the commander's eyes. She would know; she once idolized him, too, until she realized one day how weak and how selfish he could be. Yet, even now she would do anything for him. Anything. Such was the man that Oliver Antoninus Lee was.

Captain Tobin chuckled slightly as he finally realized why his second-in-command had wanted the position so badly. He didn't blame her, of course. No matter what the detractors might say - and the admiral had many detractors - his old skipper was a great man. He was a good man.

Clearing his throat, he signaled to Fatima that it was time to let go of the admiral.

"Sir, there is someone else that would like to meet you."

As if on cue, an Andorian female in her late twenties materialized before the group.

"Themie," Oliver grinned. "You haven't aged a day. And Is that a uniform you are wearing?"

The ship's artificial intelligence rolled her eyes in her commanding officer's direction. With a mock sigh she said, "Well, Captain Tobin insisted on formal wear, so . . ."

The Bolian chuckled. "Alright, if you have the Admiral's permission, you can go back to that dress of yours."

His former captain had always been rather indulgent with his crew so much so that he even allowed the ship's AI to pick her own outfit when she took her holographic form.

Oliver shook his head.

"Your ship, your rule, Kell."

Turning back to Themie, he said, "Besides, you look fantastic in that uniform."

"Oh, my, thank you, sir. I think I might . . ." Pausing abruptly in mid-sentence, the AI tilted her head to the side. "Sir, your office just contacted me. There is a priority one transmission waiting for you."

Oliver had been looking forward to this little homecoming for quite some time and had hoped that it would be spared of any interruption. But there was a war going on, and interruptions had become a norm for him.

Turning to Tobin, he asked, "Mind if I borrow your ready room for a minute, Captain?"

"It's all yours, sir."

 **::Ready Room::**

Oliver sat down in the seat behind the desk and ran his hands over the armrests; it felt different. They had refurbished his old ready room along with the rest of the ship, and everything felt a little more spartan and somber. It seemed that not even aesthetics was immune to the cold reality of war.

With a nostalgic sigh and a few presses of the holographic interface controls, he opened a secure channel.

"Themie, pass through the transmission."

In compliance with privacy and security protocols, the ship's AI acknowledged with an old-fashioned beep without manifesting herself in her usual holographic avatar.

The Ktarian woman who appeared on the virtual display clearly had no patience for any pleasantries.

"We have a problem."

"Nice to see you again, too, Deputy Director Zame. How's the weather in Munich?"

Zame rolled her eyes. The man's penchant for small talks had always annoyed her, but there were probably far worse things to open a subspace communication with. Besides, the human never insisted on the small talks going both ways.

"According to my sources inside Starfleet Command, there have been quiet whispers of a coup going the rounds."

Oliver frowned. "You have spies inside Starfleet Command now?"

"Please, we have had spies inside Starfleet for as long as Starfleet has had spies inside the FIS. Now, can we drop the inter-agency rivalry and get back to the important stuff? I do believe I mentioned something about a coup?"

"Fair enough." Oliver nodded. "How reliable are your sources?"

"Very. And you know how I know? Because they are all dead. Someone really wants to keep this under the wrap."

"Have you talked to Director Stein or General Bolanus about this?"

"Are you kidding? For all I know they are the ones that silenced my sources."

"For all you know I could be the one who's planning to overthrow the government."

"Oh, please, you don't have the guts for it."

"I think I'm hurt." Oliver retorted with feigned disappointment

"Don't be. It's a compliment. I'm sending you everything I have, which is admittedly not much, but maybe you can do more with it than I can from here."

"Have you told President Ji'vek?"

Zame sneered at the mention of the president.

"Ji'vek is already paranoid enough. If I go to him without more concrete evidence as to who is behind the plot . . . things could get far worse than a mutiny."

"What do you expect me to do? I can't just go around asking questions."

"I don't know. But do _something_. We can't afford fighting ourselves and the Dominion at the same time. That would be the end of us all."

Oliver sighed quietly. She was right, of course, but the fact that the Federation had come to a point where it had to fear its own defenders as much as it feared its enemies . . . it was not supposed to be this way.

"Why me?"

"You have three fleets under your command and your sector is one of the closest to the Sol system. But more important, you are the only one I can trust not to stab me in the back with the intel I just gave you."

With a sigh, Oliver opened his mouth and was about to say something, but decided against it.

"Stay safe, Jhmal." he finally said.

"You, too, Oliver." The Ktarian reciprocated the gesture before terminating the transmission.

As the image of the FIS's deputy director was replaced by a slowly spinning Federation seal on the holographic screen, Oliver fell back into the seat and ran his fingers through his graying hair.

A sigh.

He wished that Jhmal had not told him about the coup plot. In fact, he wished he had never joined Starfleet in the first place. The truth was, he only went to the Academy because his grandfather wanted him to. All he had really wanted was to make a name for himself as a historian, and to be with someone. He had found that person in Korra, and then Michaela, but he lost Korra twenty-four years ago, and now even Michaela was slipping away from him.

No, there were far more important things at stake than Oliver Antoninus Lee and his miseries, the man reminded himself.

. . . . . .

 **[To be continued in** ** _Chapter 2 - Wisdom_** **]**

* * *

 **Authors/Dramatis Personae**

* * *

 **Roger**

Admiral Oliver A. Lee, Commander, Kalandra Sector

Captain Nami Ishikawa, Chief of Staff, Kalandra Sector Command HQ

Captain Kell Tobin, Commanding Officer, USS _Themyscira_ , NCC-85430

Commander Fatima Karim, Executive Officer, USS _Themyscira_ , NCC-85430

Themie, Artificial Intelligence, USS _Themyscira_ , NCC-85430

Jhmal Zame, Deputy Director, Federation Intelligence Service


	2. Chapter 02 - Wisdom

**Chapter 2 - Wisdom**

* * *

 **[Time] 2418**

 **[Location] Kalandra Sector Command Headquarters, Betazed**

Oliver ran his fingers through his graying hair and sank back into his chair. That was the last bit of paper work, at least for tonight; there's always more tomorrow. It amused him how much paper work there was even in the midst of an all-out war.

Ready to call it the night, he stood up and turned off the holographic view screen, only for it to flip back to life mere seconds later, indicating an incoming transmission on his highly secured personal channel. With a sigh, he sat back down and entered his command code to unlock the channel and accept the transmission, hoping it's the news that he was finally getting the Akira and Normandy squadrons he had requested so many times.

But when the caller appeared on the screen, anticipation turned to surprise.

"How did you get on this chan . . . never mind." He shook his head. With a small smile he said, "You know, like everyone else in Starfleet I'm under order to arrest you on sight for desertion, piracy, and a few other miscellaneous charges."

The ancient man on the other side of the screen grinned at his former captain. "It's good to see you too, Oliver," he replied. "You really should stop using ODN encryption sequencers with bio-neural circuitry. They tend to create far more security holes than you know."

"I'll be sure to pass on the message to Captain Ishikawa." Oliver retorted. He paused to grab his cup of coffee, and then with a little smirk he continued. "I see you are looking as youthful as ever, Zax. What's your secret? Caelian scalp massage? Gunchi oil?"

The El Aurian's grin grew as he leaned back in his chair.

"Now now Olly, it wouldn't be much a secret if I told you." He was practically glowing as he spoke.

He reached over to something off-screen, and the sound of buttons being pressed beeped in the background. A few moments later transporter beam lit-up on the edge of Oliver's desk, leaving behind a tall bottle of Ma'atakiansian whiskey.

"Even after so many years, you are still full of surprises, aren't you?" said Oliver as he left his chair. A few moments later he was back with a glass in hand. Sitting back down, he poured himself some of that whiskey.

"To old friends." He raised his glass.

Zax pulled a glass filled with the whiskey into view of the screen. "To old friends," he said as he too held up his own glass. Once the human had tipped his own glass ever so slightly, Zax kicked back the glass into his mouth, enjoying the burn as it rolled down his throat.

Oliver downed the content of his glass.

"You know, many people in Starfleet would kill - quite literally - to have a look of that long range transporter of yours. Can't say I disagree with them, not the killing part, of course, but the truth is, the tactical and strategic possibilities it offers would give us quite an edge. And heaven knows we need an edge over the Dominion if we ever hope to force a draw out of them, and frankly a draw is the best we can hope for at the moment."

Zax shook his head.

"Our former captain already did, and Starfleet did kill Captain Miizk over it. The truth is, the ship itself doesn't trust the Federation anymore."

It pained him to say it, but it was true; the Federation had lost its way since the days when they both had walked the corridors of the old _Bunker Hill_.

Oliver sighed, something he seemed to do quite a lot these days.

"We have done many things that we are not proud of, things that make us not sleep too well at night, but I'd like to think that the Federation still stands for something, something noble, something greater, even if we have lost sight of them for the time being."

A pause.

"But as you said, many, like the _Senandarix_ , have lost faith in the Federation, and worse, they have lost faith in what the Federation stands for. Can I really blame them? Every day you hear about corruption, scandals, riots, martial laws, abrogation of civil liberties."

"Just yesterday I had to remind Chancellor Elbrun, again, that as long as Betazed remained a member of the Federation, the Federation Constitution and its Guarantees of Fundamental Rights were still the supreme laws of the land, and that I would not send in Federation troops against Federation citizens exercising those very rights. And then a few hours later, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Elbrun and her government's war time emergency measures."

Shaking his head, Oliver poured himself some more whiskey.

"Throughout the day today there were running street battles, and I mean battles, between protesters and the police, and not just in Rixx, but also Medara and other major cities. Things are a bit quiet now, but if it happens all over again tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow, I might have no choice but to accede to Elbrun's demand and send in the Marines, or at least the planetary defense force, now that the Court sided with her."

"But even then," He emptied his glass of its bitter content. "Even then, Zax, I have to believe that we are fighting for a Federation that still stands for the ideals that it was once founded on."

He had to believe it.

The El Aurian captain nodded in understanding. He looked away from the screen as he let out a depressed sigh.

"The ideas and philosophies of the pen exist in abundance for many reasons . . . but only in pen. For in action, the rules of the pen are too easily open to perversion, and the whims of men. Only in actions can real truths be found . . . and only so long as they never bring harm intentionally to another."

Zax looked Oliver right in the eye.

"Those words were spoken by Jonathan Archer...the first President of the Federation." He shook his head. "To some the Federation might still stand for those ideas, but its lost its way as an altruistic society."

"Wise words from a wise man." Oliver picked up his glass again, but this time he sipped from it instead of emptying the whole glass. "Even from the very beginning, the Federation was never perfect, but we always strove for higher things, strove to be better . . . I don't know how this war is going to end, Zax, but even if we were to win, however unlikely it is, but even if we were to win, we'd all be damned if we were to triumph over the Dominion only to become the Dominion."

"See that you don't, Olli, because the Dominion are more than just an empire, they're an idea, just like the Federation, an idea that is winning." The El Aurian sat back in his chair. "Even if you can fight this war out to draw, militarily, you'll still lose unless you can change back into the people that you were before the war . . . the people that I fought for in the first war."

"That's what I'm afraid of, Zax." said Oliver, looking into the amber-colored liquid in his glass as he slowly stirred it. "As long as my troops obey my orders, I can hold on to this sector indefinitely. Give me two more fleets, I can retake the Xeron system and stabilize the entire front. And if I had at my disposal all the resources and assets of Starfleet, heck, I could even push the Dominion back far enough to force a peace treaty out of them. Of that, I'm fairly certain."

Finishing the remaining whiskey in the glass, he continued.

"But to restore faith in ideas, ideas that took generations to nurture, ideas that have been crumbling to pieces for decades," He paused and poured himself some more whiskey. "I'm only a mortal, Zax, a very flawed one at that. I think I'll leave that arduous task to someone else, someone younger, more energetic."

He looked down into his glass again.

"Once the war is over, I think I'll go back to teaching. Maybe the University of Betazed, my alma mater. When the war first started, I was the most hated person on almost all college campuses, but it seems my reputation has rebounded somewhat lately, at UB at least, so maybe they would take me onto their faculty."

"Or maybe I'll just retire to my house on Lake El'nar. Who knows, with some luck, Michaela might even talk to me again." His voice trailed off a little as he finished that last sentence. "Or at least I can try to be the good father I should have been all these years."

The El Aurian shook his head at the sight of his former commanding officer.

"What the hell, Lee! You sound like you've already given up on the United Federation of Planets!"

Oliver looked away from the screen and through the windows into the sprawling ground of the sector command headquarters and the eerie silence of a starless night sky.

"I'm . . . tired." He confessed.

"I don't care!" Zax stood up from his desk, nearly shouting at Oliver. "My people have a saying: the person at the right place at the right time with the right ideas, can change the entire course of history!" He sighed as he sat back in his chair. "There's still a chance you can salvage both the Federation and this war . . ."

Oliver was slightly taken aback by his former pilot's outburst. Looking back at the view screen, for a moment he wasn't sure how to respond. He didn't know what was more surprising, Zax' outburst or his faith in him. There was a time when he, too, believed that he could do great things, a time when he was full of hope, not only for himself, but for the Federation, too. How much had the war changed him.

Or perhaps he had let the war change him.

Filling his glass with more Ma'atakiansian whiskey, he said, "You make it sound like I could be the savior of the Federation." Emptying the glass, he set it back down on the desk and poured some more. "With very few exceptions, people who see themselves as saviors almost invariably turn out to be ego-maniacal tyrants, Caesar of Rome, Lorre II of Kaeden, Khan Noonien Singh, the list goes on."

The El Aurian captain calmed himself down as he set back in his chair. "Someone once said: 'Don't be a great man, just be a man. Let history make its own decisions...'" The old man sighed as he looked back at the aging human. "What's happened to us Olly? When did we both become so anionic towards each other?"

Oliver recognized that quote of Zefram Cochrane, another wise man, but he wondered what Cochrane, or Archer, would have said about the sorry state of affairs that was today's Federation.

"I don't know, Zax. Maybe that's what happens when you get old. Well, at least I'm getting old. You are, what, still in your middle age?" He picked up his glass again, but only stirred it slowly. "Being able to live for that long, you El Aurians must have a very different perspective on life." Pausing briefly, he asked, "So you think we still can, not only salvage the war, but save the soul of the Federation, too?"

Zax leaned into his desk, folding his hands around his empty glass. "I know there is," he said. "Right now, there's an alliance of worlds forming just beyond the Federation's frontier to fight the Dominion should the Federation fall. And two of its founding members are former Federation worlds." Something beeped on his console from the other side of the screen. Zax hit a few buttons and frowned at what he saw.

"I have to go, Olly. Duty calls."

Oliver nodded with a small smile. "As always, Zax, thank you."

With a few more taps of his console, another screen popped up on Oliver's console. "I'm sending you the coordinates for a pulsar nebula around 24 parsects from Betazed . . . If you're ever in need of a favor, just aim a tetryon pulse at it." The former pilot nodded.  
"Until next time . . ." and the screen went black.

Oliver sighed and sank back into his chair. His gaze fell on the bottle of whiskey.

Perhaps he should have started drinking a long time ago.

. . . . . .

 **[To be continued in** ** _Chapter 03 - Crackers and A Date_** **]**

* * *

 **Authors/Dramatis Personae**

* * *

 **Roger**

Admiral Oliver A. Lee, Commander, Kalandra Sector

 **Marcus**

Zenandarix "Zax" Ku'fanblriadg, Master of Command, El Aurian Privateer Vessel _Senandarix_


	3. Chapter 03 - Crackers and A Date

**Chapter 3 – Crackers and A Date**

* * *

 **[Time] 2418**

 **[Location] Oakland, Earth**

Terri could smell the warming aroma as soon as she was near the lawn. It was enticing to say the least. Besides she hadn't had anything to eat since breakfast and was starving. She quickened her steps and was moments later in front of the door. But before she reached out for the chime, she checked the communicator on her left wrist again. There was still no message from Michaela.

With a sigh, she pressed the chime.

Theo opened the door and smiled at the gorgeous young lady who stood before her. She dusted her hands off on her apron before enveloping Terri with a hug. "Terri, you seem to grow more beautiful and mature every day, but in my mind I will always see the sweet little baby I met so long ago." She laughed, "Come on in, dinner's waiting. And I've got some guests who are just dying to see you." She winked and pushed a few grey hairs back into her ponytail as she led Terri into her home.

Terri blushed slightly as she followed Theo. Maybe the day would end better than it started.

Nigel grinned when he saw Terri walk into the dining room. He walked out to greet her, throwing his old 'Kiss the Chef' apron on the counter as he left the kitchen. He went up to her and hugged her tightly, "It's been so long! I'm glad you could make it."

"Thanks for having me on the short notice." said a smiling Terri. Glancing around the room, she asked, "So . . . is anyone else home?"

"Of course!," Theo replied with a smile. "You picked a good day to drop by; both the girls are home, as well as Gustave. They're all eager to catch up. It's been years since you've hung out with Meg and Marion, hasn't it?" They finally arrived in the dining room, where all three siblings were heartily digging into the platter of cheese and crackers.

Following Theo into the dinning room, Terri smiled brightly. "Hi guys."

"Heaven help me, could it be?" Meg said as she looked up and saw Terri. Her face broke into a smile almost identical to her mother's. She ran over to Terri, hugging her tightly. Marion stood up right after and took her turn with a warm hug. She was the more quiet twin, but Meg certainly made up for it as she bombarded their guest with compliments and questions. "It's been so long! You look fantastic! Where are you working now? I hear it's been getting interesting in the sciences lately. Made any cool discoveries? Do you have a boyfriend? Or a girlfriend? I don't judge either way I just... well..."

Terri glanced furtively in Gustave's direction before turning back to Meg. With a small shrug she said, "Not much really. I'm still at R&D. They just transferred me to a new project." Looking all secretive she lowered her voice. "Top secret."

Meg's eyes grew wide in awe. "No way!" She said in an whisper. "Is it, like, SECRET secret, or just sort of secret so that you can tell me a littl-"

Theo cut her daughter off, saying, "I'm sure we can answer all these questions over dinner, Meg." She laughed as she said this. Theo showed Terri to her seat. "Dinner will be out in a minute, make yourself at home." She went into the kitchen again, followed by Nigel.

Terri grabbed a piece of cracker and without looking at Gustave directly, she said, somewhat sheepishly. "Hello, Gustave."

Gustave stopped eating crackers just long enough to say, "Hey, Terri. How've ya been?" Then, he went back to snacking. It was nice to see Terri again, they had been good friends since they were younger, but the most pressing matter on his mind was dinner.

"Oh, great." Terri's eyes lit up. "There was this thing we were working on, but no one could figure out how to stabilize the input conversion ratio of the tachyon emitter without significant deterioration in the magnetic field integrity, and then I was drinking my espresso in Jitter's over at the Bay. It suddenly occurred to me that we don't actually need to keep the conversion ratio constant as long as the Michian coefficient . . ." That was when she realized that Gustave was barely listening. Apparently cracker and cheese were a lot more important to him at the moment. "So, uh, yeah, I'm good." She murmured, pinching herself on the arm for acting stupid.

Gustave nodded. He had been somewhat paying attention, trying to be polite. Something about . . . tachyon? Magnetism? He felt bad for not giving his guest his full attention, so he replied, "That's great. I'm glad to hear it," with a small smile.

"Really?" Terri's eyes lit up again. Maybe he was listening after all. "So what about you? Anything new? Um, seeing anyone?"

Gustave snorted, "Seeing anyone? Nah, I'm a freelancer. Maybe eventually, but us pilots aren't lookin' to get tied down." He liked to think of himself as tough and unreachable. "And I've really just got the same-old stuff going on. Flying starfighter and whatnot. How 'bout yourself?" He asked, determined to pay more attention this time. He set down his crackers when he saw Marion give him a 'you-are-being-rude' look.

Terri laughed at the question, but rather awkwardly. "What? Me? Nah, I don't have time for boys. I have, uh, too many things to do. Yeah, I'm a very busy person. Who has time for boys, right?" Another awkward laugh, and she began to stuff her mouth full of crackers so that she wouldn't say anything else awkward. Although in all honesty, Gustave seemed rather oblivious to it all, and somehow that didn't make her feel any better.

"Yeah, I get that," he said with a nod. She must have some crazy heavy work though, because girls like her usually were already in a relationship. Even he had to admit, she was darned pretty. Maybe the boys in her life were just too oblivious.

Terri was still trying to chew down all the crackers she had stuffed into her mouth. Why would she stuff her mouth full of crackers? She must look silly with her mouth full of crackers. Aww, crackers, all she could think about now was crackers and how stupid she must look with a mouth full of crackers. Aww, damn you, crackers!

Meg felt that the tension in the room could be cut with a knife. Gustave may have been oblivious to everything, but Meg certainly wasn't. She stood up, saying, "I . . . uh . . . I'm gonna go help mom and dad with dinner. Marion, you coming?" She walked briskly out of the room, throwing an apologetic glance over her shoulder. Marion followed, sneakily taking the plate of cheese and crackers. She hoped that this would get Gustave to pay attention to Terri for once.

With the help of some water, Terri finally banished all the crackers from her mouth into her stomach. She really appreciated the twins leaving the room to her and Gustave. They were always so understanding, just like their mother. Why couldn't their brother be more like them? Maybe he was just playing hard to get. Do boys play hard to get? She wouldn't know.

"So, uh, some of my friends and I are going to bowling this weekend." She said, acting as nonchalantly as she could, "You want to come?"

Gustave thought for a moment. His shore-leave didn't end until Wednesday, so he could probably go. "Yeah, sure," he replied, "Sounds like fun. When and where?"

A smile broke onto Terri's face. "This Saturday evening. There's this very nice place over in Ontario. I'll send you the details later. So, uh, do you want to meet up at my place first and head there together?"

Gustave thought that request was a bit odd, but he didn't see a problem with it. "Okay," he replied, "Around, let's say, 5 o'clock?"

"Perfect!" Terri grinned. Sure it was odd that she had to ask him to pick her up, something he should have offered to do on his own, but a date was a date, and she had no complaint.

. . . . . .

 **[To be continued in** ** _Chapter 04 - A Father's Love_** **]**

* * *

 **Authors/Dramatis Personae**

* * *

 **Roger**

Lieutenant JG Terri C. Lee, Researcher, Starfleet R&D

 **Margaret**

Commander Theo Dolarian, Researcher, Starfleet R&D

Lieutenant Commander Nigel Dervishian, Chef, Starfleet HQ

Lieutenant Gustave Dolarian, Fighter Pilot, USS _Churchill_ NCC-65124

Lieutenant JG Meg Dolarian, Engineer, USS _Discovery_ NCC-85321

Lieutenant Marion Dolarian, Doctor, USS _Challenger_ NCC-71099


	4. Chapter 04 - A Father's Love

**Chapter 4 – A Father's Love**

* * *

 **[Time] 2418**

 **[Location] Oakland, Earth**

Meg and Marion went into the kitchen to grab the stuffed peppers and salad as Theo walked into the dining room with a bowl containing enough spaghetti to feed a small country. She was followed by Nigel, who was carrying two platters of lahmahjoon. As Theo was walking over, she smiled at the young woman sitting at one end of the rectangular dinner table. "I remembered that you liked my homemade noodles and tomato sauce, so I made a little bit for you."

Terri broke into a big smile. "That's my favorite!" Rubbing her hands in anticipation, she impatiently waited for the plate to be set down on the table. Once it was down, she rolled up her sleeves and dug in.

As Terri rolled up her sleeves, Theo noticed a nasty-looking cut on her arm. Her motherly instincts kicked in, and she said, "Oh my! Terri, what happened to you? Let me go get some antiseptic . . ."

"Oh, that's nothing." Terri dismissed it with a shrug. "I was on my way here, and there were a bunch of people protesting in front of the War Memorial. Some of them had signs that said some stupid stuff about dad, so I introduced them to my best friend." She formed her free hand into a fist and waved it in mid air with a smug grin on her face.

Nigel rolled his eyes. Kids, always getting into trouble, he thought, chuckling slightly.

Theo shot him a warning glare and said to Terri, "Honey, don't put yourself in danger like that. Those low-down bullies aren't worth your time or suffering." She put her hand over Terri's injured forearm and frowned in concern. "Are you sure you'll be alright? I don't want you getting an infection or something."

There was not a trace of care on Terri's face as she devoured the pasta. "Really. It's nothing. Dad always says I'm tough like . . ."

"You are tough like your mom." That's what her dad always said.

The grin on Terri's face faded a little before she forced it back. "Nah, I'm fine. I promise."

". . . Alright," Theo replied, skeptically. She trusted that Terri would use her own good judgement. Everyone had already begun eating, so she served herself a small portion of everything. "So tell me, how have things been?"

"Oh, it's fine I guess." said Terri as she helped herself to a large slice of lahmahjoon. "I have a new project to work on at R&D so that's exciting. Also the landlord finally fixed the replicator at my place last week, but then the sonic shower stopped working so I had to move back in with Michaela. It was great to be back home, but then there was the, you know, anniversary. I tried to cheer her up, but nothing worked, just like last year. Or the year before that. Or the one before that . . ." Her voice trailed off as she began prodding her food aimlessly with her forks.

Looking back up at Theo, she asked, "Have you heard anything from dad? He hasn't responded to my messages in weeks."

Theo was a bit surprised, but she tried to hide it. "I haven't, no," she replied, and then in an attempt to reassure her, she said, "I'm sure he's just busy with work. Being a commander of an entire sector can be pretty time-consuming." She smiled softly, hoping that it would make her feel better. She knew what Terri's birthday meant to the admiral, and she knew that it must be a hard time for him, but Terri was a human being who deserved her father's love, even during hard times.

"That's what Captain Ishikawa said." said Terri.

Theo smiled sympathetically, "If both of us said it, then it must be right, right?"

Terri nodded, though not entirely convinced.

"Do you think," she asked, this time without looking up from her food. "Do you think that if my mom had not . . . I mean, if she had not . . . if I had not . . ."

Theo quickly got up and moved around the table. She knelt down beside Terri's chair, putting her arms on her shoulders and looking her dead in the eye.

"Don't blame yourself for anything. You couldn't have changed what happened. Nobody could. Your father loves you very much, and even if things get hard for him, just understand that he loves you no matter the circumstances."

She pulled her into a hug. "Don't blame yourself, Terri."

Terri bit her lips and nodded. That was everything she wanted to hear. She only wished she could hear it from her father. To be sure, in the twenty-four years of her life her dad was always kind to her and gave her everything she ever wanted, but he indulged others just as much, and she could count with one hand the number of times he actually told her that he loved her.

Taking a deep breath, she managed a brave smile. "Thank you."

"Of course," Theo replied quietly, "He'll call. I know it." She ran her thumb over Terri's soft cheek, gave her a small smile, then stood and went back to her seat.

Terri didn't say another word as she turned her attention back to the dinner. Neither did anyone else. Quietly everyone just worked on their own plate for the next few minutes, which seemed a lot longer than they actually were.

Meg broke the silence, clearing her throat. "Uh . . . Mom? Can you pass the salt?" She awkwardly shoved spaghetti into her mouth.

 **::Later That Night, Kalandra Sector Command HQ, Betazed::**

Oliver was going through the latest casualty reports when the voice of his administrative assistant, Petty Officer Sante Khanu, came through the intercomm.

"Sir, Commander Theo Dolarian from Starfleet R&D would like to speak with you."

Oliver's face lit up a little at the mention of Theo's name. The time was perfect. He was in desperate need of distraction, any distraction, from the grim reality of war and death that had been streaming through his terminal all day.

"Thank you, Mr. Khanu. Patch her through." He said. Seconds later, the gloomy casualty reports on the holographic display before him were replaced by the cheerful visage of his former chief science officer.

He smiled. "It has been a while, Theo. How are you? And how's the family?"

Theo smiled. "Everyone's doing great. I've got all the kids on shore leave right now, and we're enjoying the family time." Her expression faltered a little as she proceeded, "And how are you? You'd best be honest, I don't want to have to wrestle an answer out of you."

Oliver fell back into his chair and rubbed his temple. "Well, I just received the latest casualty reports, and they are getting worse by the day. I also had another conversation with Chancellor Elbrun this morning. If I can't convince the protesters to vacate the Rixx city hall by tomorrow night, I'll have no choice, but to send in the planetary defense force. The Supreme Court has already sided with her. Oh, and Starfleet Command still hasn't dispatched the Akira and Normandy squadrons that I requested two months ago, but otherwise I'm doing great." He finished with a wry smile.

Theo smiled sympathetically and shook her head. "That's pretty rough. You need to take a vacation sometime, I swear your grey hairs are growing grey hairs by now." She said it teasingly, but she really did mean it. He was going to work himself to the grave if someone didn't stop him. She didn't want to keep him from doing his job, but she needed to tell him when he was working himself too hard. A person can only handle so much, and he was handling way more than that.

Oliver was pretty sure that his younger self would have said something snappy about "grey hairs growing grey hairs", but all he could manage was a faint smile. "Vacations are for people who have someone to vocation with, Theo." He said, and very much meant it. He loved vacations, of course, but he had never seen the point of vacationing alone, which always seemed rather pathetic to him. Never one to look pathetic, he hadn't gone on a vacation in years.

Theo took a deep breath before making her next recommendation. "Maybe you should take your daughter. It was her birthday, as you know, and she never got a happy birthday wish from her father. She was at my house, crying." She knew he didn't want to hear this from her, but it needs to be said. So she kept going, "Oliver, you need to let her know you love her. She needs to hear it." She pleaded with her eyes, hoping he wouldn't just ignore her. Terri needed him, and it was Theo's job to make him listen.

Oliver looked away. For some moment, he didn't say a word.

"I asked Captain Ishikawa to send Terri something for her birthday." He finally said, still looking away from the screen, as if he was unsure if that was good enough an excuse.

Theo sighed and shook her head, looking down. "Do you really think that's enough? She wants you, Oliver. She wants to talk to you. She wants you to appreciate her. She looks up to you, so give her a good example."

Theo was right, of course, but it didn't make it any easier. Looking back at the screen, Oliver said, "I know I'm not father-of-the-year material, Theo, but for the last twenty-four years, I've tried. You know I've tried. But every time I look at her, you know who I see? Korra. Every time I see Korra in her. She has her mother's eyes, her smile. I even tried to convince her that she looked better with long hair, but she was just as stubborn as her mother, so she kept her hair short, just like her mother."

After a pause he continued. "Frankly I didn't know if I could raise a child whose very birth marked the death . . . but Michaela, the gracious and caring person that she was, made it seem possible, and I thought that maybe together with her I could be a descent enough father, but then I sent Erin and Alexander to their death because I . . ." He looked away again. "It's not Terri's fault, of course, but I can't look at her without being reminded of all my failings as a friend, as a commanding officer, and as a husband. I . . ."

Theo wished she could be there to comfort him, but she did her best. "It's not your fault. You've done your best, and even if that wasn't quite enough to prevent awful things from happening, you can't keep blaming yourself. I understand how hard it is to deal with all the . . . the shit that life has thrown at you, but alienating those whom you are closest to will only make it worse."

Theo took a deep breath before continuing, knowing how hard this must be, but it was a conversation that needed to happen. She kept telling herself that as she pressed on, "I know she looks just like Korra, I see it, too. But Terri is still around, so love her how you wish you could still love Korra. Love her while you still have the chance."

With his chin resting on his hand, Oliver looked down at his desk. "Michaela hasn't talked to me in years. Without her I don't know if I can do this by myself." He shook his head. "I don't think I can."

Theo used her mom eyes, and said, "Don't you love Terri? Michaela or not, Terri is still your daughter, and you need to be strong for her sake. If you really need a mediator for that conversation, I would be happy to do that for you. Or you can reach out to Michaela. It's really your choice, but things aren't going to get better unless you find peace with your past. Tie up loose ends, make amends."

Oliver looked away to avoid her motherly gaze and considered what she had just said.

"I have made too many promises that I couldn't keep, Theo, so I won't make another one. But," He paused briefly before continuing. "but I'll give Terri a call when I get a chance." Another pause. "That's all I can do."

Theo realized she wasn't going to get any farther if she pushed this subject, so she decided to let it go. "Alright," She said. She hadn't expected this conversation to be easy, but her heart felt heavy. She wished there was something more she could do. She asked, "Is there anything I can do for you? Bake some cookies and send them in a care package?" She just wanted him to be happy, that was the whole point behind this. Anything she could do to help, she would do.

A small smile returned briefly to Oliver's countenance. He used to bake, too, mostly muffins, which he learned only to impress Michaela. Now that he thought about it, he used to do a lot of things simply to impress people. Age had taught him how silly that was, but those were also happier days, days before Korra died, days before Michaela left.

With a shake of his head, he said, "Thanks, Theo, but that's alright. I . . ." He paused and looked away for a moment before looking back at the view screen. "Bake some for Terri. She likes . . . orange chocolate chip cookies. I think."

Theo smiled softly. He was trying. "I will," she replied, then paused before continuing, "I . . . I'll let you get back to your work now. Don't hesitate to call me whenever."

Oliver nodded with an appreciative smile. "Thank you."

. . . . . .

 **[To be continued in** ** _Chapter 5 - Fast and Furious_** **]**

* * *

 **Authors/Dramatis Personae**

* * *

 **Roger**

Lieutenant JG Terri C. Lee, Researcher, Starfleet R&D

Admiral Oliver A. Lee, Commander, Kalandra Sector

 **Margaret**

Commander Theo Dolarian, Researcher, Starfleet R&D

Lieutenant Commander Nigel Dervishian, Chef, Starfleet HQ

Lieutenant Gustave Dolarian, Fighter Pilot, USS _Churchill_ NCC-65124

Lieutenant JG Meg Dolarian, Engineer, USS _Discovery_ NCC-85321

Lieutenant Marion Dolarian, Doctor, USS _Challenger_ NCC-71099


	5. Chapter 05 - Fast and Furious

**Chapter 05 – Fast and Furious**

* * *

 **[Time] 2418**

 **[Location] Oakland, Earth**

Terri was feeling a lot better. Delicious homemade food and nice people always cheered her up. Comfortably sinking herself into the couch in the living room, she flipped on the wall-mounted view screen to see what's on the news. She liked to keep herself well informed of current events, just like her dad did.

 _". . . In domestic news,"_ Announced the news anchor, _"The Federation Council yet again failed to approve the budget. Grazerite Councillor Severn-Iber filibustered the bill in protest of President Ji'vek's controversial decision to veto the Sedition and Security Act, which would have stripped the President of some of the emergency powers first granted to his predecessor by the Preservation of Public Tranquility Act of 2413."_

 _"POPTA was enacted in response to the mass riots and unrest that had erupted on several Federation member worlds after Starfleet suffered a series of devastating and nearly simultaneous defeats in the Deveni Sector. In her daily news conference presidential spokeswoman T'Pel again denied the accusation that the emergency powers granted by POPTA were dictatorial and therefore unconstitutional, pointing to the Supreme Court's decision last year not to hear law suits brought by the United Earth government, the Parliament Andoria, and several civil liberty organizations against the legislation._

 _"As it stands, the Federation government has been without a formal budget for nearly a year, relying on short-term appropriation measures for its daily operations and the funding of the war effort . . ."_

Gustave had been walking by on his way to the kitchen when he overheard the news coming from the living room. He snorted, disgusted that the government just couldn't get its act together. He entered the room, muttering obscenities about injustice and corruption. He plopped down on the couch by Terri, putting his feet up on the coffee table. "I just can't believe it, ya know? All of this time they're wasting over there with filibusters and pocket vetoes . . . And we can't do anything about it! They say our system is as good as it gets, but it's still pretty screwed up." He looked over at Terri, gauging her reaction.

Terri ran her fingers through her short and somewhat messy hair as she pondered how to respond to Gustave. Her dad always made a point about not discussing politics with anyone except for those closest to him and in private. He insisted that members of Starfleet stay clear of political debates and avoid the politicization of the military.

But Gustave was not just anyone. He was practically family. Surely her dad wouldn't mind if she discussed a little politics with him.

"I know," she said, inching a little closer to him on the couch. "It's pretty terrible. But on the other hand, we were the one who put those people in office, so maybe the joke is on us."

Gustave sighed and shook his head, "I s'pose that's true. I just wish that they'd do what we asked, instead of just trying to get their greedy little hands on some power. That's what they're in it for, power. Not for our interests. We need some people who actually CARE about the general population to step up. We need some REAL representatives in office. None of this power struggle BS."

He thought for a moment, then said, almost jokingly, "My mom should run for president. She'd set them all straight." He laughed, but he knew that she never would. She was just too quiet about her political views. Too bad, because the world could use a president like her.

"She'd make a great president." Terri said with a smile and continued to inch closer. "Besides, President Dolarian has a nice ring to it." By the end of that sentence she had closed the distance between them and leaned slightly into him. "And you can be her campaign manager, and I'll be in charge of all the tech. It'd be really fun."

Gustave threw his head back and laughed. "I'd make an awful manager of anything; I'd just yell at everyone and make 'em angry. Working with people, that's Meg's job. I could make pins and buttons for people to wear on their shirts." The couch shook with his laughter. He looked down at Terri with tears of laughter running down his face. This is what he'd missed about her; they had always had so much fun together since they were kids.

That's one thing Terri had always liked about him since they were kids, his laughter, so infectious, so warm. It made you instantly forget all the troubles in the world, even if just momentarily. Looking up at him, she smiled. She knew she should say something, but she just smiled, looking into those fearless and spirited dark brown eyes.

Gustave sunk back into the couch and picked up the remote. He flipped through the channels, trying to find something that wasn't the news. News made him pissy, and he was supposed to be nice with his house guest. He found a channel that was playing an action movie: Fast and Furious 73, or something like that. He suddenly noticed that Terri was sort of lying on him, and felt a bit awkward. He tried to shift himself out from under her.

As Gustave tried to shift away from her, Terri lost the support of his broad shoulder, and before she could say "Holy Moly Batman", she fell sideways and right onto his lap.

Gustave's eyes went wide with surprise, and he felt extraordinarily awkward. He felt bad for poor Terri, she was probably really embarrassed, so he started to chuckle in an attempt to lighten the tension.

Terri didn't plan for this, but when she saw an opportunity, she seized it. Adjusting her posture slightly, she made herself comfortable on his lap. If the dummy that was Gustave tried to move away again, she would so slap him in the face. OK, maybe she wouldn't, but she was not going to give up his lap without a fight. It's her lap now, and if Gustave knew what's best for him, he would let her have it. But again, he had always been an oblivious dummy since they were kids. So maybe she should slap him in the face anyway. But for now, she was content curling up on him.

"Hmm, I heard they are making another sequel." she said, completely ignoring his awkwardness. "They should so get rid of Fanel. His acting is terrible."

Gustave was a bit confused why she didn't get up, he thought she was embarrassed. I guess not . . . he thought. He replied to her question, saying, "I honestly think it's all bad acting, but when they all come together, the movies are just great. Or awful, I'm not quite sure."

"They should bring back Tanie Pel. He was one of the best they had in the franchise." said Terri, but then her voice trailed off as a particularly romantic scene on the screen grabbed her attention. Once it's over, she wriggled a little. "My back is itchy. Scratch it for me, would you?"

Gustave felt even more awkward. Scratch her back? Well . . . okay? He obliged, running his stubby nails over her mid-back. "Better?" He asked, stopping the scratching, mostly because he felt uncomfortable. First, she started lying on him, and now she wanted him to scratch her back. What next?

"No, that's not it." Terri grumbled softly. "Up a little, a little more, to the left, no, the other left, back a little. Hmmmm, that's the spot" She purred contently

Gustave was taken aback by the purring. He thought only Caitians did that . . . He just kept scratching and thought about how odd his situation was. He had many female friends in his lifetime, but none had ever acted this . . . close. They had never lay on him or asked him to scratch their backs. They had never purred, even his one Caitian friend. He just chalked it up to Terri having been his friend for a long time. Maybe it was a good thing that friends could be comfortable around each other like that.

Just then, Meg and Marion walked in. Meg saw the scene, and abruptly stopped, causing Marion to bump into her. They silently turned their heads to look at each other, then crept to the side, crossing to the door on the other side of the room. Meg prayed that neither Gustave nor Terri would see them, but Gustave turned his head. Meg cringed, and waved slightly before rushing backwards towards the door. Marion calmly followed, ever the formal and unfazed princess.

Terri thought she heard something. Lifting her head slightly from Gustave's lap, she looked to the source of the noise and to her horror saw Marion and next to her Meg waving at them awkwardly. Her cheeks flushed red faster than the Morian squirrel could run. She sprang up from Gustave's lap and did what her instinct always told her to do whenever blood rushed through her head and messed with her thinking: hit something, anything.

Before she knew it, she had slapped Gustave square in the face. And it was loud. Nay, it was resounding. Literally.

Gustave stuttered. What the heck was this lady doing? Just one moment ago, she was lying in his lap and purring, and now she slapped him! What was going on? He stood up, throwing up his hands, "I give up!" He shouted, "You aren't making any sense! Just a moment ago, you were being all weird and snugly, and now you slap me! What did I do?" He stormed out of the room, kicking the coffee table as he went. "Women are so confusing . . ." He mumbled to himself. This chick was by far the oddest he'd ever met.

Terri was mortified by what she had just done, so mortified that a sheepish and barely audible "Gustave" was all she could manage as the pilot stormed off. It was going so well. Heck, she even got him to scratch her back while lying on his lap. Why did she have to slap him in the face? Why?!

Meg stood there, mouth agape, and started stuttering. "I . . . uh . . . you . . . I'll just . . . okay." She had definitely not been expecting that. Love struck people don't usually strike the people they are struck with love over, at least that's what she thought. She turned around abruptly to leave, and ran into Marion. Meg pushed her sister out the door, and cast an apologetic glance over her shoulder. Marion whispered a "Bye" as she was shoved through the doorway and into the hall.

"Meg, Marion, uh, guys . . ." Dejected and still blushing, Terri tried to stop the twins and maybe explain to them what just happened, but they had already disappeared into the hall way, and more important, did _she_ even know what had just happened?

 **::Later That Night::**

Terri paced back and forth in front of the twins' room, struggling over how to explain to them what had happened earlier, but after a whole five minutes, she still had nothing. Finally giving up, she stopped and knocked on the door. Whatever happened happened. Yep, that's what she would tell them.

Meg opened the door, peeking her head out. She wasn't all that surprised to see Terri there; both twins knew she would come to them for advice on their brother eventually. She opened the door wider, smiling, "Come on in. We've got ice cream."

"Nice." Terri grinned at the mention of ice cream. "Do you have Andorian orange, or tropical lemon? I love those." She said as she followed Meg inside. "Hi, Marion." She waved at the other girl with a smile.

Marion simply waved before turning back to the holographic display showing a remake of The Notebook. Meg led Terri over to the huge queen bed, plopping down on it. "I could replicate a bowl of that for you, but for now we've got mint fudge brownie and vanilla." She held up the two containers for Terri, then placed the vanilla down so that she could scoop herself a bowl of the mint fudge brownie.

Terri nodded. "Vanilla is good." As she began to scoop herself some ice cream, she said, "So, listen, guys, about earlier, uh . . ." All the sudden, "whatever happened happened" sounded a rather dumb explanation. "I was, I mean, uh . . ."

Meg rolled her eyes. "Alright, we get it. You're desperately in love with my big brother. Now out with the details!" Marion pretended she wasn't listening, but the others could definitely hear her quiet chuckle.

Terri hurriedly stuffed her mouth full of ice cream as if that would excuse her stuttering.

"Wuduno, wut ditaals . . ."

Meg and Marion, in perfect synchronization, looked over at her with the same exact expression of 'you've-got-to-be-kidding-me-right-now' on their nearly identical faces. Marion folded her hands in her lap, and in a very therapist-like manner, said, "You clearly like him, and he's clueless. Just tell us about what happened, and we will see how we can help you out. Kapeesh?"

Terri thought about her predicament as the ice cream melted in her mouth and made its way down her throat. There was really no point of playing dumb and dragging it out, was there? She desperately needed to salvage the mess she had just put herself in.

With a small sigh, she said, "Well, you . . . saw what happened." She scooped some more ice cream into her bowl. "I don't know. I just freaked out I guess when I saw you two standing there, so I, uh, slapped him. I dunno. I mean, it's not not-normal, is it?" She was a little sheepish with that question, and soon began to stuff more ice cream into her mouth.

"But why? Honey, it's not like you needed to hide anything from us. We already knew about your crush." Meg just shook her head and turned back to the holomovie, "Well if you need to talk about it, or just vent, we've got all night."

Terri nodded and then sighed. "Gustave must hate me now." Some more ice cream. "But he can be so stupid sometimes that I really want to slap him so hard."

Meg snorted, "Believe me, I know. I don't think he hates you, though. He doesn't anger all that easily, but he was probably pretty confused." She smiled reassuringly.

Meg's words reassured Terri somewhat, but the ordeal was far from over. "So . . ." She looked at Meg and then Marion. "So, what do I do now?"

Meg took in a deep breath. "Well now, that's one whopper of a question. If I were you, I'd apologize. Say you freaked out when you saw us, you don't know what came over you." She then shrugged and added, "It can't hurt, right?"

No, it wouldn't hurt, Terri supposed, except for her pride, of course. Apology was a rare word in her dictionary, and truth be told, she would rather let Gustave slap her back than apologize.

"I dunno." She hesitated, aimlessly stabbing her bowl of ice cream with her spoon. "Maybe I should just let him slap me back. You know, even-steven, and stuff."

Marion sighed and turned to Terri, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You know Gustave isn't like that. I know it's uncomfortable, and he's probably confused, but just say you're sorry and that you just had a little freak-out." Meg nodded in agreement.

Terri was quiet as she thought about what Marion had just said. It made perfect sense, of course. But for her to actually go through with it, that wouldn't be easy.

A quiet sigh later and still dragging her feet, she said, "There's probably some mind control thingy somewhere in the basement where I work. Maybe I should just use it to erase Gustave's memory, maybe even plant some new memories while I'm at it." At that last thought, a small and goofy smile popped onto one end of her lips.

Marion and Meg gave her identical looks of disapproval, staring with raised eyebrows and tight lips. They were not going to back down until she agreed to apologize to Gustave. Terri looked so tough, and they wondered how she wasn't tough enough to just say a simple 'sorry'.

Terri was tough like her mother and smart like her stepmother, but she had none of those interpersonal skills and finesse that her father had in abundance. She would be more than happy to either punch her way through problems or think her way through - punching was always preferred - but talking her way through them or simply apologizing was a herculean task for her. It's not that she hadn't tried over the years. There was nothing she wanted more than to be more like her dad, but it was just not in her. It was just not _her_. And sometimes she wondered whether her dad would perhaps love her more if she had been more like him instead of constantly reminding him of her mom.

Looking up from her bowl of ice cream, she caught the identical looks of disapproval in the twins' eyes.

"What? Memory reconstruction isn't hard. It's a lot easier than . . ."

Looking back down at her bowl, she stuffed her mouth with more ice cream instead of finishing her sentence.

Meg rolled her eyes and sighed. "Terri. Hon. Just say sorry. Nothing fancy. Don't think about it too much and get nervous, just say, 'I am sorry for slapping you, Gustave' and then wait for him to accept your apology, which he will, then it's all over and forgotten."

Terri grumbled inaudibly as she crammed more ice cream into her mouth. Some moments passed before she licked her bowel clean. Putting it back down, she sighed heavily.

"OK, OK, I'll talk to him." She conceded, if only to stop the twins from making her feel any more guilty.

"Finally," Marion said with a sigh of relief. "Now can we all be quiet? Bryan Rosling is about to make his entrance!" She said, pointing to the screen. Meg and Marion exchanged a momentary glance and smile, using their twin connection to congratulate each other on a job well done.

Terri was a little lost. "Bryan who?"

The twins looked at Terri, mouths agape. Marion said, "Uh, Bryan Rosling. Plays Noah Calhoun," she gestured broadly to the holomovie, "The Notebook." Then Meg made shushing noises at both of them, "Shhhhh . . . It's getting to a good part."

. . . . . .

 **[To be continued in** ** _Chapter 06 - Family_** **]**

* * *

 **Authors/Dramatis Personae**

* * *

 **Roger**

Lieutenant JG Terri C. Lee, Researcher, Starfleet R&D

 **Margaret**

Lieutenant Gustave Dolarian, Fighter Pilot, USS _Churchill_ NCC-65124

Lieutenant JG Meg Dolarian, Engineer, USS _Discovery_ NCC-85321

Lieutenant Marion Dolarian, Doctor, USS _Challenger_ NCC-71099


	6. Chapter 06 - Family

**Chapter 06 - Family**

* * *

Theo wiped off her floured hands on her apron. She tore off a chunk of one of the cookies she had just finished, putting it into her mouth. She chewed slowly, concentrating, then nodded. They were perfect. As usual.

Theo plated the orange chocolate chip cookies nicely, poured a glass of milk, and brought the array into the living room where Terri sat on the couch. She smiled down at the girl and said, "These are from your father. Orange chocolate chip." She put them down and crossed her fingers behind her back, praying that she would like them.

Terri had been noticing the tangy and sweet aroma of her favorite cookies coming from the kitchen, and it took her quite the effort not to rudely barge in there. After unceremoniously slapping Gustave in the face last night, she told herself to be on her best behavior for the rest of the weekend. She was the house guest after all.

The built up anticipation meant that she was more than delighted when Theo handed her the tray and by implication gave her the permission to dig in. But it was what she said that took her by surprise.

"What do you mean?" She asked, picking up the biggest piece of cookies from the tray. "I thought you were baking these in the kitchen just now."

Theo's smile softened. "He had them specially ordered. He felt bad for not being here to celebrate a certain someone's birthday." She thought about ending it there, but she didn't want to leave such an unhappy note, so she added, "And he's not the most talented baker, so I stepped in to help."

"Really?" Terri's eyes lit up with glee for a moment, but then her smile faded. "You talked to him, didn't you?"

Theo's heart dropped when Terri's face fell. "I did." She wondered whether or not she should tell Terri that he said he might call, for she didn't want to get the girl's hopes up.

Theo suddenly had a small idea, but a nice one nonetheless. She bent down and hugged Terri tightly, saying, "This was his other present. He really does feel guilty for not being the father he wants to be." She hoped that wouldn't just make it worse.

"Thank you." said Terri. It would have been nice if her dad had done this without any prompting from Theo, but she would take whatever she could, even if it's a little forced.

She took a bite of the cookie and a smile returned to her face. "This is really good."

"Why thank you," Theo replied with a proud smile. At least the girl was happy with the cookies.

Terri took another bite of the delicious cookie and drank from the glass of milk. "Dad used to bake, too." She said. "But it's always muffins. Blueberry muffins, honey banana muffins, maple bacon muffins. There was this once on the _Themyscira_ when Michaela left the ship for a week for some doctors' conference and we had muffins for breakfast every day while she was away. After that I couldn't even stand the thought of muffin for a whole month."

Chuckling, she finished the cookie and picked up another one.

Theo laughed with her, smiling and taking a cookie for herself. "I really shouldn't eat these. I'm getting older, and my metabolism isn't what it used to be." She shrugged in sweet, chocolaty defeat. "Oh well, I'll just go on a bike ride sometime."

"Nah, you look great." said Terri. Munching on her cookie, she was quiet for a little while. When she was done it, she picked up another piece, but instead of biting into it, she turned to Theo. "Can I ask you a question?"

Theo braced herself for the worst, but kept soft smile on her face as she said, "Of course, anything."

"Hmm, you know how my mom and dad had been best friends before they got together. Do you think, I mean, people like them who are friends since they were kids can really, you know, uh, be more than just friends? I mean, I know _they_ did, but . . ." Her voice trailed off.

Theo thought for a moment. She knew that Terri was thinking about Gustave, but she didn't want to bring that into the conversation unless Terri was ready. She tried to phrase her words to seem generic instead of focused on Terri specifically. "Well yes, it can happen. Love can happen to anyone, sweetheart, even friends. So if both are willing, then yes. But if it only goes one way, then all you are doing is damaging your friendship. It is up to you to determine which is more important to you."

"Hmm." Terri took a bite of her new cookie and pondered what Theo had just said. "But, how can you tell if someone is, uh, willing?"

Theo picked up another cookie and ate it to stall for enough time to think. "Well first off, they would act differently. Going out of their way to spend more time with you. Saying things they wouldn't usually say. Acting embarrassed, as if they have a secret they can't tell you, but they really want to. I wouldn't know all the . . . symptoms, but you could probably tell."

"Huh, I see." Terri nodded as she continued to chew on her cookie. Gustave hadn't done any of what Theo just said. Did that mean he was . . . unwilling? Sighing quietly, she stuffed the remainder of her cookies into her mouth before picking another piece and stuffing some more. "Boys ar so stuupit." She mumbled under her breath with her mouth full of delicious cookie.

Theo chuckled under her breath as she said, "That they are." Theo wasn't stupid, she had seen the way Terri looked at Gustave. She just wished that there was more she could do about it. Cookies could solve a lot of problems, but hearts tended to take their own path. And as much as it pained her, she knew that Terri's heart would have to tough this one out and risk getting broken.

Just then Gustave walked in, looking for his mother. He saw her on the couch and said, "Hey mom can we tal-" He stopped abruptly when he saw Terri. He noticed that her cheeks were puffed out like a chipmunk's, and then he noticed the plate of cookies. He resisted the urge to laugh, as he didn't want to risk her getting mad and slapping him again. He broke the awkward silence, saying, "Uh, hi Terri."

Terri was so glad she had stuffed her mouth full of cookies. There was no way she could talk to Gustave now, certainly not in front of his mom. She mumbled a few random syllables that she hoped would pass as greetings to Gustave as she stood up from the couch, doing her best to look and act normal.

"I, uh, hoove tu talk tu Meg un Moorian,"

She took a quick glance at Gustave before making her way away from the couch, only to stop a few steps later. Walking back, she mumbled a few more random syllables and took from the plate all the cookies that could fit in her hands. Another furtive glance at Gustave, she hurried out of the living room and disappeared into the hall way.

Gustave shook his head. "Mom, I just don't know what's going on with her. She seemed perfectly normal at first, but then things kept getting weirder and weirder. She went from talking about news to laying on my lap and having me scratch her back. And then she slapped me! Did I do something wrong?" He looked up at Theo in bewildered confusion, hoping that maybe she could answer the questions he could hardly fathom.

Theo sighed, "She's just confused. It's been a while since you last had a chance to really talk, and she doesn't know how to act around you anymore." She smiled at him comfortingly, putting a supportive hand on his shoulder.

Gustave wasn't quite convinced. "Are you sure that's all? She was acting pretty strangely."

Theo broke eye contact and looked across the room at the television that was still on. She tried to think of the best way to say what Gustave needed to know. "Terri has been through some pretty traumatic stuff in her life, and around her birthday, the pain always comes back and reminds her." Theo looked back up at Gustave and smiled reassuringly, "She is just looking for a little bit of affection, and her best childhood friend happens to be where she is seeking it."

Gustave frowned, then nodded in understanding. "I suppose that makes sense. I guess she was just embarrassed when the twins walked in, so she slapped me." It was clearer now. Some of it still seemed to . . . odd to be explained, but the pieces were starting to fit together.

Theo smiled, "Hey, just because she opened up to you doesn't mean she's ready to open up to the crazy twins yet. She'll come around in time, but you're right, I'm sure she was pretty embarrassed."

Gustave's smile returned to his face for the first time that afternoon. "Alright. Thanks, mom. You really do know everything." He laughed, and Theo joined him. He gave her a big hug, then grabbed a cookie and started for the exit, saying, "Love you."

Theo called to him as he left, "I love you, too."

 **::Later That Day::**

Terri had made up her mind. Sort of . . . OK, maybe not really.

She knew she should just apologize like the twins suggested, but saying "I'm sorry" was always hard for her, really hard. Besides, Gustave probably deserved a few slaps in the face for friend-zoning her all these years, although truth be told, it's probably just his obliviousness, and not intentional. At least she hoped that was the case because otherwise he would deserve not just a few slaps in the face, but a good old-fashioned beat down or two.

She sighed as she walked into the kitchen, looking for those delicious cookies Theo had made to help her clear up her mind, only to find Gustave, who was apparently also looking for snacks. Her first instinct was to bolt away, but unlike earlier, she had a better hold of herself this time. Besides, unlike last night, there was no one else around so she might as well just get this over with.

"Hi, Gustave." She said casually and without making eye contact as she walked past him and reached the other end of the kitchen table where a plate of cookies waited to be consumed.

He turned abruptly, startled to hear her. "Oh, hey Terri. Didn't see you there." He pulled a glass out of the cupboard and smiled awkwardly.

There was a moment of silence between them as Terri munched on a piece of orange chocolate chip cookie. Then sheepishly and almost inaudibly, she said, without looking at Gustave, "I'm sorry."

Gustave didn't quite hear. With a look of confusion etched on his face, he replied, "What?"

"Arggh." Terri grunted in frustration. Did he really expect her to apologize twice?! Turning around to look at him in the eyes, she wiped the few cookie crumbs off the corners of her mouth and made her ultimatum. "OK, I'll let you slap me, and then we'll be even. So go ahead. Come on. I can take it." That bit was true. She had fought with people twice her size since she was a kid.

"Come on, are you chicken, or what?"

Some taunting surely wouldn't hurt?

Gustave's face went from confused to surprised to horrified and back to confused all in a second. "What?" He said. "Terri, I'm not going to hit you! What is this all about?"

"Why not?!" Terri protested with growing desperation in her voice. "I hit you yesterday, so I'm letting you hit me back. Let's just get this over with already."

"I don't hit people I respect," Gustave said, crossing his arms. "I'm not going to ask why you hit me, I'm sure you had your reasons. I'm over it. I'm not going to hit you."

"No, you can't be over it just like that." The words had already come out when Terri realized how silly and ungraceful they were.

But what's she to do now? Her first plan was to apologize. That didn't work out. Her backup plan was to let Gustave hit her back to even out things. That didn't work out, either. Why did he have to be so oblivious and so understanding at the same time? It didn't make sense to her at all. And it's frustrating.

"Argg" She grumbled. Picking up another cookie, she went back on munching again. She really didn't know what to say.

Now Gustave had no clue about how Terri's mind worked, or the mind of any female for that matter, but he could tell when someone had something on their mind. And this was one of those times.

"Terri," He asked, "What's wrong? If you need to get something off your chest, just say it. I'm listening."

Terri mumbled something as she worked on her next cookie. Why should she have to explain to the slowpoke what was going on? Why did he have to be so oblivious, so slow, so big, so strong, so funny, so good-looking . . . wait a second, she was supposed to be mad at him. Yes, she was mad at him. That was the plan.

Turning back to Gustave, she stared him in the eyes. "I have nothing to say to you. I'm leaving now." With that, she picked up another cookie and munched on it, staying exactly where she was.

Gustave saw her just stand there and tried to suppress a laugh. He failed. Realizing that she might be offended, he said, "I . . . Sorry. I'm sorry, Terri. Okay. Let's get back on topic. Don't leave, please. We definitely need to talk about something." Though about what, Gustave wasn't quite sure. He needed answers. Why had she hit him? What had she mumbled? What the heck is wrong with the entire female population?

Terri might not like apologizing to others, but she sure loved being apologized to, and heaven knows, Gustave owed her more than a few apologies for all the terrible and terrible friend-zoning she had suffered at his hands over the years.

OK, technically that apology wasn't for the friend-zoning, but hey, he got to start somewhere.

With a sniff that was more proud than contemptuous she said, "Hmm, apology accepted." Another bite of her cookie. "So, what do you want to talk about?"

All of a sudden she was feeling a lot better.

"Why did you slap me?" Gustave asked, figuring he might as well not beat about the bush. "What did I do wrong?"

And just like that, Terri was back on square one. It had looked like she might have dodged a bullet there, but Gustave just had to ask the question. With a quiet sigh, she relented.

"I don't know." She said as her eyes drifted away. "It's not you. It's just that I . . . I was . . ." There was a pause. Then she sighed again, but this time more determined. Reconnecting her eyes with his, she spilled the beans in rapid fashion. "I freaked out. OK? I freaked out when your sisters walked in on us. I was embarrassed that they saw us like that. But . . ."

Her breathing quickened as she continued. "I just wanted to be around with someone . . . It's my birthday for heaven's sake! Do you know how hard it is? Everyone else has their birthday cakes, their friends, their families. For everyone else it's a special day, a day to celebrate. What do I have to celebrate? I have never even met the woman that gave birth to me. You know why? Because I killed her! My dad wouldn't even talk to me around my birthday. Why? Because I killed the love of his life!"

Pausing to steady herself, she shook her head. "They never meant to have me in the first place, Gustave. They were taken over by the Vorusi. It was not them, and I was never meant to be . . . I was . . ."

"Woah. Slow down," Gustave said. He understood that she needed the company. That was one thing his confused mind could comprehend. "You are in now way a murderer. Don't blame yourself for any of that, you had no control over the circumstances of your birth." He took a deep breath, knowing that he could never understand how she felt, but hoping he could help.

He paused, then continued. "And your dad being distant . . . that's his problem. To be quite honest, he's missing out. You are an incredible person, and this family loves you. We do what we can to make up for all the love you've missed out on." He looked her dead in the eyes, placed his hands on her shoulders, and said, "But you can't move on until you accept that you are loved and wanted, no matter how much it may seem that you aren't. You can't choose your family, but you can choose your friends. You've got us; Mom and Dad and Meg and Marion, and me."

Terri blinked her eyes as she processed what Gustave had just said. Those were some of the kindest words she had ever heard. Family, after all, was what she had always wanted, but it had never felt complete, even before her dad and Michaela separated. Of course, Michaela with her unbounded kindness and maternal love had always treated her like one of her own, as did Erin and Alex, but nothing she did could ever elicit the same affection from her dad, who remained to this day aloof and distant. The death of Alex and Erin, however, forever shattered even that family, already incomplete as it was.

So to hear those words from the man she had had a crush on since they were kids was especially meaningful and touching, so much so that she was speechless for a few moments as a plethora of emotions swirled inside her.

She felt something moist in her eyes and fought it. No one had ever seen Terri Cornelia Lee cry, and no one ever would.

Gustave saw her eyes fill with tears, and his heart dropped straight to his shoes. He reached out and held her cheek, stroking tenderly with his thumb. He wasn't sure whether or not he should speak, so he sat there and watched as his childhood friend melted in front of him.

That tender touch. Those warm eyes. Her resolve was faltering.

Suddenly she reached out and clinched him with her arms, burying herself in his chest. No one could ever see her cry.

. . . . . .

 **[To be continued in** ** _Chapter 07 - Fashionable_** **]**

* * *

 **Authors/Dramatis Personae**

* * *

 **Roger**

Lieutenant JG Terri C. Lee, Researcher, Starfleet R&D

 **Margaret**

Commander Theo Dolarian, Researcher, Starfleet R&D

Lieutenant Gustave Dolarian, Fighter Pilot, USS _Churchill_ NCC-65124


	7. Chapter 07 - Fashionable

**Chapter 07 - Fashionable**

* * *

 **[Time] 2418**

 **[Location] New York City, Earth**

Terri blinked several times at her own reflection in the mirror.

"Uh, guys, I don't think pink is my color." Awkwardly she turned herself around to face Marion and Meg. "And how am I supposed to walk in these?" She asked, looking down at the pair of high heeled platform shoes and then back up at the twins. "Come on, what's wrong with what I normally wear?"

Meg's eyes were shining as she replied, "Oh Terri, you look absolutely adorable! And you can't just wear whatever you normally wear because it's not nice enough! This is a DATE! You have to dress to impress!"

Marion nodded, then went back to looking through the jewelry box she had brought for something that would match.

Now, "adorable" was not a word people would usually use to describe Terri, at least not in front of her. In fact, the last person who called her "adorable" to her face ended up with a broken nose and a few nasty bruises. "Adorable" just sounded too, well, girlie to her. Terri Cornelia Lee was a strong and mature woman, and she had no time for all that silly and girlie stuff.

But this time, it was a little different. She was going on a date . . . OK, technically she was just going to hang out with some of her friends and coworkers, but Gustave was coming along, and he even offered to pick her up from her place . . . OK, technically she asked him to pick her up from her place, but those were minor and inconsequential details, what's important was that she was going on a date with Gustave, and maybe being "adorable" was just what was expected of her. She wouldn't know really. After all this was her first real date.

Of course, many people had asked her out over the years, but she had no time for losers. In fact, the last one was so pathetic that, instead of just asking her out, the guy tricked her into thinking they were going on a friendly trip to the annual all-you-can-eat burger marathon at the Big Belly Burger headquarters on Chiron III. Not only did he take advantage of her love of the heavenly burgers at BBB, he lied to her face. Needless to say, when she found out what his true intentions were, she promptly taught the loser a lesson in honesty that he would not soon forget.

But what if Gustave liked girlie girls?

Nope, there was no way she was wearing pink. Not even for Gustave.

But what if Gustave _really_ liked girlie girls?

Arrg, guys were so stupid.

Grumbling under her breath, Terri looked at Meg and then Marion. "But why does it have to be pink?"

"Because it's so cute!" Meg squealed. "I got this dress for a party a couple years back and there was this guy and he was super hawt so I really wanted to impress him, and he loved it! Trust me, it's perfect! We could even hem the skirt up a little more to show off those long legs!" Meg looked at Marion and they shared a grin before Marion went to get the sewing kit she had brought with her. Meg sighed happily as she looked at Terri with a broad smile, "I just love this dress, don't you?"

"Uh . . ." Terri hesitated for a second. The truth was, she hated pink, and she hated skirts. If it were anyone else, she would have told them to their face, but it's the twins, and they seemed to really like it. "I . . . guess. I just don't think it's, well, I just don't think it's me."

Meg's face fell. "Oh." She looked dejected, and then said, "Well, I guess you don't have to wear it . . ." She sighed, then looked at Terri with the scrutinizing eye of an artist in concentration. She went back to her suitcase and ruffled through, eventually pulling out a few choice articles of clothing and throwing them over the back of a chair.

"Let's try this instead." Meg said, glancing to the door as Marion came in with the sewing equipment. "You can wear these, they're probably a bit more 'you'." Marion nodded in agreement and grabbed a hanger before going to help Terri out of her dress.

Some moments later Terri was back in front of the mirror. This time it was a gorgeous slimming outfit, consisting of a pair of black skinny jeans and a white, lacy, form fitting tank top. On her feet were a pair of silver pumps, and she wore a pretty silver necklace to top it all off.

Meg and Marion smiled in approval. "It's perfect," they said in almost freaky unison. Meg continued, "You look sexy." Marion was still grinning when she walked up to Terri and handed her the silver purse that perfectly complemented the whole ensemble.

Terri stood in front of the mirror, unsure what to make of her new outfit. "Smart", "athletic", "tough", that's how she had always seen herself, but "sexy", that was a word better suited to girls like Lela, her Academy roommate and long time professional rival, who was always in sync with the latest fashion trends and who knew exactly how to dress to impress. She, on the other hand, didn't usually give much thought to what she wore outside of work. If it fit her, it was good enough.

Besides, unlike Lela, she didn't have the curves to be "sexy". Not that she envied the Bajoran. No, not at all. She was fully confident of herself and her body. Why would she be envious of Lela's voluptuous curves that everyone at work seemed to love so much? Curves were so lame and stupid; only lame and stupid people would want curves. Nope, she didn't envy Lela's curves at all. She didn't care for her curves. She didn't need her curves. She didn't want her curves. Ahh, all she could think about now was Lela's curves! Screw you, Lela's curves!

But what if Gustave liked curvy girls?

Then screw him, too!

But what if Gustave _really_ liked curvy girls?

Then . . . then she would beat the crap out of him. Yep, she would beat the crap out of Gustave if he really liked curvy girls.

Meg and Marion were just staring at her, waiting for a response. Meg tried waving a hand in front of her face to see if that would elicit a response. She whispered to Marion, "I think she's too stunned to speak . . . or something." She spoke up, trying to break Terri's creepy trance, "So, how do you like it?"

With that, Terri was thrust out of her own little thought bubbles.

"Like what?" She asked, looking at the twins as if their question had just come out of the left field.

Meg and Marion had identical 'duh' faces on as they said in unison, "Your outfit."

"Oh, uhh . . ." Terri looked backed at the mirror. "It's nice . . . and tight. Why is it so tight?" She asked, stretching her legs.

Meg rolled her eyes as she said, "Because that's what's in fashion," and then added under her breath, "Not that you would know, or anything."

Marion shook her head and went up to Terri. "But besides that, it makes you look incredible. Also, you don't have time to change again, because it's 4:45, and Gustave is picking you up at 5." Meg smirked at that and 'slyly' disguised her laugh as a cough.

"What?!" Terri's eyes widened, and immediately she turned and rushed toward the bedroom doors. "I still haven't done my . . ." Before she could finish her sentence, she stumbled on her high platform shoes and plummeted face-first onto the polished hardwood floor.

"Ouch."

"Terri!" The twins yelled, rushing to help her up, "Are you okay?"

Terri sprang back up from the floor like a Tellarian leaping squirrel and reassured the twins as she continued to make her way to the doors. "Don't worry. I'm O . . ." Another stumble, and her face quickly and painfully re-aquainted itself with the floor.

"Ouch."

Meg sighed, helping Terri up from the floor, more slowly this time. She shook her head as she said, "Alright, alright. You can wear the sandals."

. . . . . .

 **[To be continued in** ** _Chapter 08 - Patriotism_** **]**

* * *

 **Authors/Dramatis Personae**

* * *

 **Author(s)/Dramatis Personae**

 **Roger**

Lieutenant JG Terri C. Lee, Researcher, Starfleet R&D

 **Margaret**

Lieutenant JG Meg Dolarian, Engineer, USS _Discovery_ NCC-85321

Lieutenant Marion Dolarian, Doctor, USS _Challenger_ NCC-71099


End file.
